


The Funeral

by abrightyz



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: M/M, aaron and robert and chas and liv attend the funeral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-10 18:28:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6999604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrightyz/pseuds/abrightyz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>just a short one-shot coz aaron needs closure at the funeral</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

     "Hey, you're awake," Robert's soft voice came from the direction of Aaron's bedroom door. In an instant he was sitting on the bed, handing Aaron a cup of steaming Americano. Aaron propped himself up against the headboard and took a sip, and immediately felt himself perk up from the caffeine kick.

     "How are ya feeling?" Robert asked, sidling next to him, the fingers on his right hand ruffling Aaron's fluffy, straight-from-sleep hair. "Are you sure about this-- going to his funeral?"

     "I have to. Liv has to attend her dad's funeral, hasn't she? She told me he'd been a good dad. She had good memories of that before she knew what happened."

     "Another sip," Robert said encouragingly. Aaron obliged.

     "I owe it to my sister that she be there, Robert. After all that I've done that turned her world upside down... After all that he's done to our... family."

     "You're a good man, Aaron Dingle..." Robert whispered as he brushed his lips against his boyfriend's cheek. "That's why I'm here for you. That's why I love you."

     Aaron shook his head. "I don't know about that."

     "Which one? That you're a good person? Or that I love you?" Robert, feigning hurt and forlorn, tilted Aaron's chin gently with his forefinger so he came face to face with him.

     "Robert Sugden, you're just being kind. You know that."

     This time, Aaron couldn't tell if the hurt in Robert's face was thoroughly feigned. "You think so? Absolutely think so?"

     Aaron's face broke into a smile he couldn't control. "You are being kind, But you are, Really. You've been very kind to me. In fact, I don't know how I could've survived all this without you supporting me like a true mate."

     "Oh, yeah? Mate? How about this, mate?" And taking Aaron's cheek with his big hand, Robert gently planted a quick kiss on his lips.

     "That's the best mate's kiss I ever had," Aaron giggled, submitting his lips and tongue to a deeper kiss that both knew will delay them going to the funeral.

 

 

                                                                                                * * * * *

 

 

     Adam and Vic were in the kitchen with Chas and Liv when they eventually came down, Aaron in a deep navy suit, Robert in less sombre maroon.

     "All right, mate?" Adam asked as soon as he saw Aaron and Robert. Aaron nodded in assent. "I don't understand why you have to go to the-- that person's funeral? Can't the state or the prison just arrange for all that?"

     Vic's eyes widened as she glanced over at Liv who was making a show of eating her cereals. She nudged Adam on his side.

     "I happen to be the executor of his estate," Chas said quietly, in her chair next to Liv and in front of untouched toast and marmalade and half-drank coffee. "Got to do what I got to do."

     "We're alright, mate," Aaron said, tapping Adam's shoulder with his left hand, his other hand finding Robert's behind his back. Robert's fingers entangled with his was some of the most reassuring feelings in Aaron's entire life. "The man's not coming back and this is the last thing we can do for him."

     "Care for toast?" Vic offered.

     "Just one please, Vic," Aaron replied, surreptitiously letting go of Robert's hand as he took a seat opposite Liv.

     "Two for me, please," Robert said, sitting down beside his boyfriend.

     "You alright, Liv?" asked Robert.

     Liv nodded faintly, drawing figures of eight on the milk-soggy cornflakes with her spoon.

 

 

                                                                                                * * * * *

 

 

     "Here we are," Chas announced, trying to sound as chirpy as the circumstance allowed, as she parked the car in front of the sparse, geometrical brown cremation chapel. She glanced at Robert who was on the front seat next to her and who nodded back at her. On the rearview mirror, she could see Liv and Aaron sitting at the back in silence and unmoving.

     It was Robert who first opened his door and got out and went towards Liv's side to open her door. Aaron got out from his side to open Chas' door for her.

     "You go ahead, love," Chas, dabbing a handkerchief under her nose, told Liv in a gentle voice and nodded to Robert to go with her.

     "Mum, not now..." Aaron said, looking uneasy, not knowing what Chas had to say as she motioned the back seat with a grave face. But Aaron got back in the car, giving space to his mum when she followed suit.

     "This is the last time we'll ever see him," Chas said. "And I know I can never understand completely how you're feeling right now however much I try..."

     Aaron sighed and closed his eyes. "It's about Liv, mum..."

     "I know... and that's it. You're a very good lad, Aaron. Even now you're only thinking of your sister. I'm so proud of you, you know that?"

     "It's the least I can do..."

     "I know. You told me. You turned her life upside down, inside out when you revealed the awful truth about her dad. The dad that she used to really love and idolise. And she had good memories of him as a proper dad, too."

     Aaron can't help hearing the last words were spoken with icy coldness, with bitterness.

     "Mum. Cmonn.."

     "I know we both loathe him for what he did," Chas was fighting back angry tears. "And I do with all my heart, my whole being. Cause you're my son!"

     "I know, mum," Aaron was biting his lip, hands in his pockets.

     "But I have to tell you this. I need to tell you this, son..." Chas looked at Aaron with shining eyes.

     "I don't know how he became the despicable monster that he had become. But before that he had been your dad."

     "Mum."

     "Before he did what he did, he was your dad, son. And he... loved you-- truly-- properly-- as his son."

     Aaron was looking down at his own hands on his lap, shaking his head, still biting his lip.

     Chas continued. "You should have seen him when you were born. I was there. He was your dad then. He was so excited!! He was full of love, full of joy, full of pride, full of dreams for his beloved little boy-- You! His newborn son.

     "I don't know what happened afterwards but when you were a baby-- you gotta believe me, son-- you had a full set of parents who loved and properly adored you."

     Their faces were streaming with tears when their eyes met. Aaron hugged his mum. "I-is it true, mum?"

     "It's true, my son. Otherwise I wouldn't have left you with him." Chas closed her eyes tightly, shaking her head.

     "The man we are sending off had become a most despicable kind of person and he will be forever gone and wouldn't be able to hurt you anymore. But before that he had been your dad, too."

     "L-like Liv?" Aaron's tears were free-falling, his hands cupping both Chas' hands that clasped both his tear-drenched cheeks.

     "Yes! He also loved you properly like he loved your sister!" Chas through her tears was looking straight into Aaron's eyes. "Even for a while, you had been a dearly loved son by your mum and dad. And I'm very, very sorry for leaving you! I-I'm so sorry!"

     "No, mum, don't be. It's not your fault. There is no way you'd know what would happen."

     "Cmonn mum," Aaron said, wiping his tears with the back of his hands. "The sooner we start this, the sooner it will be over."

     Chas nodded, getting a second hankie for her son before dabbing her own tears dry with hers.

 

 

                                                                                                    * * * * *

 

 

     The service was short and as basic as it gets. There was a chaplain and the four of them. Three minutes into the chaplain's talk, Liv ran out of the room, Robert following close behind. Aaron turned but Chas held his hand so he stayed.

     In a moment, mother and son were walking back outside from the main door. Aaron could see Robert talking to a hunched Liv in one of the garden benches of the facility.

     When they reached them, Liv, crying, hugged Aaron tightly around his middle. Robert held his hand tightly.

 

 

                                                                                                      * * * * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not actually a chapter two but this has always been intended as the last scene of my short fic. The BSA last weekend and working consecutive night shifts prevented me from writing this earlier but the outline for the scene had been written at the time of posting the first part.
> 
> Hope it rounds out this fic properly. :)

 

 

     "So what did you tell Liv?" Aaron asked. It was night-time. They were in bed, back at the Woolpack.

     Robert furrowed his eyebrows, then understanding washed his face. "What else?" he said. "About my dad and how we didn't get along. Just the summary though."

     Aaron nodded thoughtfully, "That's enough I suppose."

     "How about you?" Robert asked, turning towards Aaron, head propped on his hand and upper body weight on his elbow.

     "What about me?" Aaron asked, turning his head to his left towards Robert.

     "What did you and your mum talk about?"

     Aaron rolled his eyes up and to the right, half squinting as he tried to remember. "She told me we're at the funeral of an awful man who won't be able to hurt me anymore... t-that she's sorry she left... "

     "Yes...." Robert said encouragingly.

     "... and that he'd been my proper dad before they separated..." Aaron said at last.

     "Do you believe it?"

     "Believe what?"

     "That he was my proper dad when I was born?"

     "What? When you were a baby?"

     "She said he was happy when I was born and even loved me as a proper son then."

     "Of course I can believe that." Robert said, lying properly now in their bed and pulling Aaron closer. "Fluffy hair, cute blue eyes and nose and smile like that, I'd be happy too to have you as my baby, Aaron Dingle... You think you weren't loved as a baby? 'course you were!"

     "I think I'm getting sleepy, Rob..."

     "I can sing you a lullaby, Baby Aaron Dingle. What's your favourite as a child?"

     "Ha ha... Mum said Rock-a-Bye-Baby.."

     "I know that, luckily," Robert laughed, enclosing him once more in his sweet, strong arms and started to hum.

     That night, Aaron would remember sleeping like a baby for the first time in a long while, listening to Robert's surprisingly soothing and in tune lullaby-singing voice.


End file.
